Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has announced that the removal of border controls, including visa requirements and daily visitors cap, and the launch of a nationwide travel discount programme will be implemented on October 11.

Kishida made the announcement at the United Nations General Assembly in New York yesterday (September 22). This a major policy shift following the past two years of travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We will remove the cap on the number of people entering the country, and will resume accepting individual travel and visa-free travel,” said Kishida.

“I hope many people will utilise them, I want to support the travel, entertainment and other industries that have been struggling during the coronavirus pandemic,” he continued.

Prior to the pandemic restrictions, Caribbean nationals from the Dominican Republic, Barbados and The Bahamas could visit the country for up to 90 days without a visa.

Japan went through a tourism boom prior to the pandemic and recorded more than 31.88 million foreign travellers in 2019, which fell to 250,000 in 2021 due to the travel restrictions.

Currently, Japan only allows package tours, and requires visas for all visitors.

Japan’s yen is currently at the weakest level it has been against the US dollar in decades – 1 US to JPY 142.86.